Ultra Trail Running – Zero, to Half Hero
Mid-May 2016 and I was on a chilled 7 day central Drakensberg traverse with my good friend Sean Robertson enjoying the sights. I recall getting a message from my wife that she had booked me into a 10 km trail run. A what? I was 34 years old and had never run 10 km in my life. What was she thinking?! 29 May 2016 I ran that race and finished some 72 minutes later winding through the vineyards out near Stellenbosch on some Dirtopia race. I’ve never enjoyed competition of any sort and certainly the throngs of people around me left me feeling pretty cold but I did enjoy my day hikes on Table Mountain so maybe this running thing would be fun. It certainly was tougher than hiking.
Night Hike – 3 August 2016
Last night I decided to do a night hike again. It had been far too long since I’d done one and thought why the hell not? By midday the first of the group starting dropping out – boozy lunches. Within the last 30 minutes two more people dropped out! So it ended up just being myself and Sébastien Rohner to be doing this mission.
Seb trying to stand still.
Table Mountain and India Venster
Usually when I’m hiking Table Mountain I just take a few photos with my phone. But every now and then I take my DSLR up and get a few shots. From a variety of different hikes, here are a few randoms. I really do need to get out more often and take the camera with. A cell phone just simply cannot capture the stunning mornings and evenings we have here.
Windsurfing Brandvlei- 18 June 2016
This past Saturday Niell Taylor, Sébastien Rohner and I took a drive up to Brandvlei. Whilst I had been there a few times before, Niell and Seb had not. So off we went in Niell’s bakkie, much to the amusement of Niell as Seb and I loaded our hordes of equipment onto the roof whilst his kite board hid quietly under the canopy. I must say, it is tough being a windsurfer sometimes. But still, I’ll stick with it after all these years of sailing.
Sneeuberg – June 2014
I’ve had this blog for quite some time but never really had the time to update it. So, instead of sitting on loads of photos I’ve decided to share the beauty of what is lying just up the road from us here in Cape Town. In June 2014 Brad Pienaar and I made a trip up to the Cederberg, an area I am not familiar with at all. After this hike I realised I need to make more of a plan to explore the area properly. Roll on two years later I’ve yet to return to this exact area but this is something I need to rectify, and soon.
Die Hel – Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area
I had been home for exactly 9 days since my Drakensberg hike, and already I was packing to leave midday on Monday 23 May for yet another hike. It just seemed that I had not had enough, that I just needed one more hike before I settled into work again. Well truth be told, more like fill in a gap before yet another holiday but more on that in another article.
7 Day Central Drakensberg Traverse 2016
My wife and I flew up for a wedding recently in the Natal midlands. To maximise the mission we decided we might as well go for a hike or two in the Drakensberg seeing as though we had flown from Cape Town to Durban. In the end, we went on a great 22km day walk around the corner to look at Champagne Castle and Ships Prow Pass and then back to the Monks Cowl office. It has been a few years since I had last hiked in the Drakensberg and after that I was chomping on the bit to go back, the fire had been lit, there was only one thing I could to quell the flame. Just over a month later I bought an air ticket, this time to Johannesburg.
Egyptian Goslings for Spring
This week at work I suddenly noticed 6 little Egyptian goslings out on the field with mom and dad. Lovely little chaps. So on Thursday I remembered to bring my camera to work and take a few snaps quickly. Enjoy.
Brandvlei Dam – Super Overpowered
Yesterday (11 July 2015) myself, photographer Michel Dei-Cont and local sailor Monet Butler decided to head out to Brandvlei. The forecast was looking good, with no rain in Cape Town when we left, and little wind. However Brandvlei is affected by what I think is a venturi effect between the two mountains and in a NW or SE it thumps.
Dubai Aquarium
In April 2015 I went on a trip to the UAE, Cambodia and Thailand. Although I will throw up some photos of my time in Dubai, I thought I’d quickly chuck in a few photos of our visit to the Dubai Aquarium.
Adrian Waterman Tregoning 